Erich is unsurprised when he arrives near Ishida’s home the next evening to find the teen stubbornly awake despite the hour. It’s tempting to simply turn around and leave without approaching him, but Erich resists. He’s already been seen and introduced himself and he doubts that Ishida will write it off as a strange dream.

Instead, he prowls across the open air and waves his trunk at Ishida through the window, choosing to remain outside unless invited in. It’s one thing to approach a sleeper to take their nightmares before moving on and entirely another to approach with intent to speak.

Ishida grimaces at the sight of him but gestures for him to enter.

::You wished to speak?:: Erich asks as he settles down in the center of Uryuu’s bedroom, trying to make his large body as nonthreatening as possible.

Ishida stares blankly at him for a long moment, disbelieving gaze roving over Erich’s body. “I thought I was actually dreaming,” he admits awkwardly as he looks away. “I… don’t actually know. I wanted to know, but…”

::But you didn’t expect it to be true.:: Erich bobs his head in an imitation of a human nod. ::That’s to be expected. Even in the past there were so few who could See us when we remained out of sight that those who could were always surprised.::

“Urahara says you’re the reason we haven’t had as many nightmares as expected.”

Erich’s ears perk up and he bobs his head again. ::Yes. Myself and another, who chose the name Alexis. Alexis sensed all of you first and called me in later.::

Ishida winces and draws his knees up to his chest and rests his chin atop them. He doesn’t meet Erich’s gaze, staring down at the open floor between them instead. “Because we’re all a mess.”

::Because you’ve all been through something traumatic,:: Erich corrects kindly. ::And because of the physical distance between all of you. The distance, more than the trauma. We are both old and well versed in handling the traumas of war, after all.::

Ishida doesn’t acknowledge Erich’s words with anything more than a grimace, arms tightening around his legs and expression darkening. Erich waits the span of five human breaths, then carefully pushes himself up and slinks closer, bringing himself a bit more into the physical world as he does. He eels himself up onto the bed, settling between the wall and Ishida, then curves his body so Ishida is tucked into his side.

Ishida stiffens at his movements and his touch, but Erich remains still. He can sense no fear from the other, only surprise and disbelief and a bit of wariness, and that is enough for him to remain in place. Especially when Ishida slowly leans into him, body relaxing and beginning to uncurl.

“How bad is everyone?” Ishida asks softly.

::Bad.:: Erich rests his head on his paws and lets his trunk drape over the edge of the bed. In the distance he can feel the young woman begin to dream.

He doesn’t move.

(Alexis knows where he is and why. They’d spoken of it as the night began to fall.)

(It still feels like a betrayal to his purpose.)

“Even…” he trails of and glances in the direction of Kurosaki.

::Worse,:: Erich corrects without hesitation.

Ishida reaches out and brushes his fingers down Erich’s front leg. “Whatever he did to beat Aizen… it can’t be fixed, can it?” he asks in resignation, eyes flicking up to look at Erich’s head and then back down again. “He’s… that’s it, isn’t it? And… and it hurts him, I think.”

::It does hurt him, yes. He badly wounded his soul in his quest for survival and now he needs to heal. But it is fixable and Alexis and I have already begun the process.::

“It is?!” Ishida sits up, eyes wide and hope beginning to spread through his signature. “You have?! But you haven’t— I mean, have you? Spoken with him? Have you told him?”

::No. Why would we?:: Erich asks. He lifts his head and cocks it at the teen, ears swiveling. ::We have no need for acknowledgment or praise. We are only providing the means for him to heal himself, not doing the healing for him.::

Ishida makes a noise of disbelief and shakes his head. “It’s not about— it’s not about praise! It’s about letting him know he will heal!”

Erich considers that. Considers what he’s seen in life and how the soldiers he once protected acted in similar situations.

The teen is correct, Erich concludes, especially this early in the healing process when Kurosaki will not be able to tell if what he’s feeling is healing or if he’s just growing numb to the pain.

“Come on,” Ishida growls in annoyance, trying to clamber off the bed. “We’re going to go talk with him right now so you can tell him and he can stop moping and making everyone worry!”

Erich huffs a laugh and rolls onto his side, pressing Ishida to his belly with one large paw. ::No,:: he says with finality, ::we will not do it right now. The conditions of his healing are very specific, and if we wake him now we may not be able to meet the second condition.:: Ishida’s glare is almost cute and Erich can’t resist reached out with his trunk to pat the teen’s head. ::We will speak with him this morning, when you humans are normally awake, and not simply surprise him out of sleep.::

Ishida flails against Erich’s paw, trying to pry it from his chest or otherwise slip free. He’s not desperate though, just frustrated and put out by Erich so easily holding him in place. Eventually he gives in and slumps back against Erich’s stomach, a large yawn breaking free in the process.

::Sleep,:: Erich tells Ishida with amusement. ::You do yourself no favors by avoiding it.::

“Fine,” Ishida grumbles before taking off his glasses and leaning forward enough to drop them on his side-table. “But you have to promise…”

::I will return to get you once the sun arises and we will go speak with Kurosaki,:: Erich agrees with ease. He lets himself fade more into shinkai and chuckles when Ishida yelps and drops a pawlength to the bed. ::Sleep well, Ishida Uryuu.::

Ishida tries for a baleful glare and manages sleepy annoyance instead.

Erich reaches out and ruffles the teen’s hair with his trunk, amused by the half-hearted way Ishida swats at him in response, then fades back into shinkai and turns back to his duties.

He’s left Alexis alone with the three other teens long enough. It’s time to correct that.